Car-coupling



(NO D/mel.) WI R PARKNSON.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 432,893. Patented July 22, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM ROBERT PARKINSON, OF RAOCOON, ILLINOIS.`

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 432,893, dated July 22, 1890.

Application filed May 23, 1890.

ATo all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ROBERT'PAR- KINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raccoon, in the county of Marion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car-couplings; and it has for its object to provide a simple and cheap attachment readily applied to the drawheads of cars now in use, and which shall be automatic and positive in its action.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features. thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a side elevationwith parts broken away and parts in vertical section, showing my improvements applied to a draw-head of a car. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the coupling-rod.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a portion of a draw-head of a car of known construction and provided with vertical opening-a for the passage of the coupling-pin, the walls of the opening in the upper wall of the draw-head being larger and flared, as shown in Fig. l, to guide the pin should it strike otherwise than perfectly perpendicular.

My attachment is shown detached in Fig. 2, and consists of the arms or bars B, adapted to embrace the draw-head, as shown, rods b being provided for firmly holding the attach ment to the draw-head, shown, and setscrews c also being provided as a furthersafe- Serial No. 352,849. (No model.)

guard against displacement. The forward vertical parallel arms or bars l5 of the ate tachment ext-end for a considerable distance above the upper face of the draw-head, and at their upper ends are connected by the cross-bar d.

C is a swinging frame pivoted at ebetween the forward vertical bars of the attachment, as shown, and formed with a horizontalplate C', which at its forward end terminates in a bumper C2 and at its rear end provided with an opening f, as shown best in Fig. 2.

D is a spring-arm secured at its upper end to the under side of the cross-bar d and its .lower free end adapted to engage behind a lug or finger g on the upper face of the hori zontal portion of the swinging frame, and

tends to normally keep the bumper projected, as shown in Fig. 1, yet yields when an approaching car comes in contact with the bumper.

E is a plate attached to the under side of Ithe cross-bar d, and bent downwardly and to the rear and formed with an opening h inline with the opening in the rear portion of the plate portion of the swinging frame.

F is the coupling-pin, which is formed with a shoulder i, which is adapted to engage the walls of the opening in the rear portion of the swinging frame, as shown in Fig. l, and near its upper end with a second shoulder or .liange j, adapted to engage the walls of the opening in the plate E when the adjacent car is not provided with my attachment.

F is the coupling-rod, engaging at its lower end an eye on the. coupling-pin and at its upper end provided with a ring by which it may be easily manipulated. It is weighted, as at k, to aid it in descending when left free so to do, and also to aid in holding the link horizontally when coupling.

The operation is simple and will be readily understood. As shown in Fig. l the device is ready for coupling. When the approaching car comes in contact with the bumper, the latter is forced inward against the force of the spring-arm and the support for the coupling-pin is forced backward and the pin drops into place in the link and the cars are coupled. When the approaching car is not provided with my attachment, the coupling-pin will be IOC supported by its upper shoulder or ange on the upper curved plate E, and the swinging frame pushed back, so that the opening therein Will be in line with the opening in the upper plate, and there held by the swiveled hook Z,which is turned up so as to engage the forward edge of the horizontal portion of the swinging frame. "When the car comes in contact with the draw-head, the jar will cause the pin to drop, the weighted coupling-rod assisting it in its downward movement.

1. An attachment to draw-heads, consisting of arms to embrace the draw-head, a swinging frame pivoted between the forward Vertical portions of the arms, and a bumper on the swinging frame, substantially as specified.

2. An attachment to draw-heads, consisting of arms to embrace the same, a swinging frame pivoted between the forward vertical portions of the arms, abumper on said frame, and a plate on the cross-bar connecting the forward vertical portions and provided with an opening, substantially as specified.

3. An attachment to draw-heads, consisting of arms to embrace the same, a swinging frame with a bumper and opening, and a spring acting on the frame to normally keep it projected forward, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the arms and tho swinging plate pivoted thereto and formed with horizontal portion carrying bumper and having opening, of the coupling-pin formed with shoulder, and a spring connected to the cross-bar connecting the arms and acting against a lug on the horizontal portion, substantially as specified. p

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in' presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ROBERT PARKINSON. I

Vitnesses:

JOHN CUNNINGHAM, BENJ. E. MARTIN. 

